Father of Kirkersville shooter indicted for tampering with records, forgery

Harry Hartless, father of the Kirkersville shooter, listens to closing statements in Municipal Court during his March trial for violating a protection order, where he was acquitted. Hartless was indicted Thursday for four counts of tampering with records and four counts of forgery, all third-degree felonies.(Photo: Jessica Phelps/The Advocate)Buy Photo

NEWARK - The father of the Kirkersville shooter has been indicted in relation to the handling of his son's estate.

Harry T. Hartless, 75, of Utica, was indicted Thursday on four counts of tampering with records and four counts of forgery, all third-degree felonies.

Assistant Licking County Prosecutor Paula Sawyers said it appears Hartless back dated titles to vehicles owned by his son, Thomas Hartless, and had the titles notarized, putting the vehicles into his name prior to Thomas Hartless' death.

The tampering with records counts are because Hartless tampered with the titles and the forgery counts are because he forged his son's name, Sawyers said.

Sawyer said changing the names on the titles would keep the value of the vehicles out of Thomas Hartless' estate.

Hartless faces a maximum of three years for each of the eight counts, Sawyers said.

On May 12, 2017, Thomas Hartless killed his former girlfriend Marlina Medrano, newly-hired Kirkersville Police Chief Steven Eric DiSario, and nurse aide Cindy Krantz at the Pine Kirk Care Center in Kirkersville. Thomas Hartless then took his own life.

In March, the elder Hartless was found not guilty of recklessly violating a protection order, which was taken out by an employee of Utica Care Center.